Ajinomoto (Mono-sodium Glutamate) is
a taste/flavour promoter.It is widely
used in food processing industries.

Glutamic acid is a non-essential
amino acid.Mono sodium glutamate is a
mono-sodium salt of glutamic acid.

Glutamic acid can be extracted from
natural resources like wheat gluten and corn gluten, which contain about 20 �
25% glutamic acid.

After the development of the fermentation
process, now Glutamic acid is commercially produced from the glucose-
containing materials like hydrolised starches of potato, sweet potato, tapioca,
corn or molasses.

Market -
The total world market of Ajinomoto
is more than 20 lakh tonnes per annum.
Japan is the largest producer of Ajinomoto.
yes">� India is a total importer of the product.

Raw-Materials -

Molasses

Bean oil

Hydrochloric acid

Urea

Sodium hydroxide

Process Technology -

Ajinomoto is economically manufactured from glucose containing material. It is manufactured

from molasses or hydrolysed starch by fermentation process. Glucose is fermented by a micro-organism to produce crude glutamic acid. The glutamic acid is concentrated, purified and neutralized by sodium hydroxide to produce MSG. The MSG solution is de-colourised by activated carbon. The active carbon is filtered off. The de-colourised solution is concentrated on vacuum evaporator. The solution is finally crystallised and centrifuged.

Uses of MSG -

The main use of mono- sodium glutamate is in the food industry as a flavour intensifying agent in all kinds of soups, meat and chicken preparations. It is regarded as the fifth taste invented by the mankind. It is also used to some extent in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Goodrich offers MSG plant from China, which is based on molasses/secondary sugarcane juice, in various capacities upto 5,000 tons per year.